Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss told The Daily he’s “excited” to step in as a committeeperson of the Democratic Party of Evanston, pending a decision by the county party, after a closed-door vote last week to nominate him for the position.
The 7-5 vote by the party Thursday evening came after Eamon Kelly, who served in the role for more than a decade, announced plans to resign early and recommended Biss to serve the rest of his term.
“I really appreciate their confidence in me,” Biss said. “I’m very excited to do this work. This is an election where democracy is literally on the line — the presidential election. I think all of us have a responsibility to do our part.”
The nomination will now advance to the Cook County Democratic Party’s Central Committee for final ratification.
Kelly told the Evanston RoundTable that Biss’ previous experience leading a campaign for governor would prove helpful for the Evanston party apparatus, which organizes campaign and fundraising efforts for the heavily Democratic city.
“Obviously, there’s a lot to be done and this whole thing hasn’t even been ratified yet,” Biss said. “What I anticipate is an outpouring of enthusiasm on the part of Evanston to help reelect the president.”
Biss’ new role arrives amid a contentious moment for the mathematician-turned-politician. Despite not declaring a reelection campaign, Biss saw an influx of donations last year after he cast the tie-breaking vote to approve NU’s controversial plans to rebuild Ryan Field.
Casey He and Hannah Webster contributed reporting.
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